Man arrested on 6 felony counts of arson

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY – Police arrested a 23-year-old man Tuesday for arson after he allegedly set fire to six different vehicles at four separate locations.

Cedar City Police arrested Beaver resident Isaac Wall for six counts of arson, all of them second-degree felonies.

At publication, Wall had not yet been booked into jail but was taken to the Cedar City Hospital first for a mental health screening, said Sgt. Jerry Womack.

“He made several suicidal threats during the police interview so they wanted to get him cleared before taking him in to the jail,” he said.

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

According to a news release from Cedar City Police, the fires occurred between 1-3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

During the early morning investigation, detectives received information that the suspect was seen running from the first reported vehicle fire. The victims identified him as the ex-spouse of a female living at the location, the police statement said.

At that time, officers issued an attempt to locate and an off-duty Cedar City officer located the suspect’s vehicle near Ridge Road and Rose Hill Drive.

The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the police department where he was interviewed by authorities for several hours before detectives officially arrested him.

During the interview, it was determined that Wall had set the first fire out of vindictiveness for his estranged wife, Womack said. The other fires were set randomly. The other victims did not know the suspect.

Of the six vehicles, four were completely totaled with two only receiving minimal damage. The suspect allegedly told police he set fire to the two with the least amount of damage via a punctured fuel tank but did not admit to puncturing the tanks.

“He said they were already like that,” Womack said.

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

There was also some minor damage to property and homes near the fires including fencing, stucco, and a melted vinyl window shutter. As close as the fires were to some of the houses however, it was remarkable that there wasn’t at least one structure fire, authorities said.

“We’re very fortunate no one was hurt,” Womack said. “Some of these fires were so close to the homes that we’re just very very lucky that they didn’t catch fire and that someone wasn’t injured or killed.”

The estimated damage has not yet been determined but authorities believe it to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Wall’s most recent address is from Beaver, however Womack said he is originally from Cedar City. Court records show that in 2014 Wall pleaded guilty in 5th District Court in Beaver County to assault and attempted sexual battery, both misdemeanors.

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A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

A man was arrested for arson after police said several vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Cedar City, Utah, early Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Cedar City Police Sgt. Jerry Womack, St. George News / Cedar City News

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About the Author

Tracie is an award-winning investigative reporter. She has been published in several publications including the Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Spectrum and Daily News, Elan Woman, and New West. During her career, Tracie has covered various beats including education, politics, crime, courts, cops, government, lifestyle, arts and entertainment, and environmental issues. She is known for her fairness and integrity as a reporter.